STM32F051K8T6 - 48MHz Cortex-M0 MCU 64KB Flash | STMicroelectronics
MPN: STM32F051K8T6 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.4 | $3.40 |
| 10 | $2.95 | $29.50 |
| 100 | $2.2 | $220.00 |
| 500 | $1.85 | $925.00 |
| 1,000 | $1.6 | $1,600.00 |
| 3,000 | $1.42 | $4,260.00 |
STM32F051K8T6 Overview
A microcontroller (MCU) is a single-chip computer containing a processor core, program memory, data memory and programmable I/O peripherals. The Cortex-M0 is the most area-optimized member of the ARM Cortex-M family and implements the Thumb/Thumb-2 instruction set, providing deterministic interrupt latency and full binary upward compatibility with higher-end Cortex-M3/M4 parts. STM32F0 MCUs sit in STMicroelectronics' mainstream 32-bit lineup (STM32F0 -> STM32 -> 32-bit MCU -> microcontroller -> semiconductor), serving as a bridge between 8-bit AVR/PIC devices and higher-performance Cortex-M3/M4 families.
Key features of the STM32F051K8T6 include: 48 MHz maximum core frequency, 64 KB Flash with hardware single-cycle prefetch, 8 KB SRAM, a 1.2 V internal voltage regulator, multiple low-power modes (Sleep, Stop, Standby), and a fast 12-bit ADC (1 MSPS) with up to 16 channels. Communication peripherals include one I2C, two SPI/second-generation I2S, three USART (one with auto baud, one with modem control), and USB 2.0 full-speed support via the integrated USB-PHY on select device variants. An 8-bit/16-bit timer array, six 16-bit timers, and a 32-bit timer provide flexible PWM, capture/compare and motor-control capability.
The architecture uses a von-Neumann bus matrix with separate Flash and SRAM buses, allowing zero-wait-state execution from Flash at 48 MHz when prefetch is enabled. An ultra-low-power RTC, brown-out reset, two watchdogs and a 96-bit unique ID round out the system-level features, all accessible through the standard Cortex-M0 Nested Vectored Interrupt Controller (NVIC).
Typical applications include USB peripherals, sensor hubs, low-cost motor control (small BLDC drivers), home appliances, lighting controllers, smart-meter peripherals, battery chargers, wearable devices, and small-completion or industrial control. The integrated USB, multiple timers and ADC channels make it a strong fit for plug-and-play HID peripherals and brushed/brushless DC drive stages.
Design considerations: connect the NRST pin to a 100 nF capacitor + 10 kΩ pull-up for clean reset; place a 100 nF decoupling cap on each VDD pin and a 4.7 µF bulk cap near the regulator output; route the HSE/LSE crystal traces short and guard the analog AVDD pin with a ferrite bead if the ADC is used for precise measurements.
This page synthesises distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet, and is maintained against the ST RM0376 reference manual.
Drop-in alternatives for STM32F051K8T6 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with STM32F051K8T6 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Communication Interfaces, Timers, MSL Level, Package, SRAM.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
STM32F051K8U6
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
STM32F051C8T6
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
STM32F072K8T6
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
STM32G030K8T6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.02 / Unit
View Datasheet →STM32F042K6T6
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$1.84 / Unit
View Datasheet →GD32F130K8T6
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
STM32F051K8T6 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core | ARM Cortex-M0 32-bit RISC |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 8 KB |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0 V to 3.6 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (T6 grade) |
| Package | 32-pin LQFP (7x7 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Number of I/O | 27 (per LQFP-32 pinout) |
| ADC | 12-bit, 1 MSPS, up to 16 channels |
| Timers | 16-bit / 32-bit timer array (8 total) |
| Communication Interfaces | 1x I2C, 2x SPI/I2S, 3x USART, USB 2.0 FS |
| DMA | 7-channel DMA controller |
| RTC | Yes, with calibration |
| Watchdog | 2x (independent + window) |
| MSL Level | 3 (168 hours) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
STM32F051K8T6 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | PB7 — General-purpose I/O / I2C1_SDA |
| Pin 2 | BOOT0 — Boot mode selection (system memory vs Flash) |
| Pin 3 | PB6 — General-purpose I/O / I2C1_SCL |
| Pin 4 | NRST — Reset input (active low) |
| Pin 5 | VDDA — Analog supply voltage |
| Pin 6 | PA0 — General-purpose I/O / ADC_IN0 / WKUP |
| Pin 7 | PA1 — General-purpose I/O / ADC_IN1 |
| Pin 8 | PA2 — General-purpose I/O / USART1_TX |
| Pin 9 | PA3 — General-purpose I/O / USART1_RX / ADC_IN3 |
| Pin 10 | PA4 — General-purpose I/O / SPI1_NSS / ADC_IN4 |
| Pin 11 | PA5 — General-purpose I/O / SPI1_SCK / ADC_IN5 |
| Pin 12 | PA6 — General-purpose I/O / SPI1_MISO / ADC_IN6 |
| Pin 13 | PA7 — General-purpose I/O / SPI1_MOSI / ADC_IN7 |
| Pin 14 | PB0 — General-purpose I/O / ADC_IN8 |
| Pin 15 | PB1 — General-purpose I/O / ADC_IN9 |
| Pin 16 | VSS — Digital ground |
| Pin 17 | VDD — Digital supply voltage (2.0 V to 3.6 V) |
| Pin 18 | PA8 — General-purpose I/O / TIM1_CH1 |
| Pin 19 | PA9 — General-purpose I/O / USART1_TX / I2C1_SCL |
| Pin 20 | PA10 — General-purpose I/O / USART1_RX / I2C1_SDA |
| Pin 21 | PA11 — General-purpose I/O / CAN_RX / USART1_CTS |
| Pin 22 | PA12 — General-purpose I/O / CAN_TX / USART1_RTS |
| Pin 23 | PA13 — General-purpose I/O / SWDIO |
| Pin 24 | PA14 — General-purpose I/O / SWCLK |
| Pin 25 | PA15 — General-purpose I/O / TIM2_CH1_ETR / SPI1_NSS |
| Pin 26 | PB3 — General-purpose I/O / TIM2_CH2 / SWO |
| Pin 27 | PB4 — General-purpose I/O / TIM3_CH1 / SPI1_MISO |
| Pin 28 | PB5 — General-purpose I/O / TIM3_CH2 / SPI1_MOSI |
| Pin 29 | PB8 — General-purpose I/O / TIM16_CH1 / I2C1_SCL |
| Pin 30 | PB9 — General-purpose I/O / TIM17_CH1 / I2C1_SDA |
| Pin 31 | VSS — Digital ground |
| Pin 32 | VDD — Digital supply voltage (2.0 V to 3.6 V) |
Typical Applications
STM32F051K8T6 is suitable for 7 applications: USB HID Peripherals, Small BLDC / Brushed DC Motor Control, Home Appliance Control Boards, LED Lighting Controllers, Battery Chargers and Power Banks, Industrial Sensor Hubs, Consumer Wearable Devices.
USB HID Peripherals
The STM32F051K8T6's 48 MHz Cortex-M0 core, 64 KB Flash and rich peripheral set make it well suited for USB HID-class peripherals such as keyboards, mice, game controllers and custom input devices. With 8 KB of SRAM it handles USB HID report buffers and small protocol stacks comfortably, while 64 KB of Flash accommodates full HID descriptors plus application logic. For designs requiring native USB 2.0 full-speed, pair with the pin-compatible STM32F042K6T6 (integrated USB-PHY). The 27 GPIO pins on the LQFP-32 footprint allow direct matrix-scanning of key switches up to 8x8 without external expanders. Compared with discrete 8-bit MCU implementations, the Cortex-M0 core delivers deterministic USB polling and lower BOM cost.
Recommended
Small BLDC / Brushed DC Motor Control
The STM32F051K8T6 drives small brushless or brushed DC motors via its six 16-bit timers and one 32-bit timer, supporting 6-step trapezoidal commutation and 3-phase PWM up to 48 MHz core clock. The 1 MSPS 12-bit ADC samples back-EMF at high bandwidth, enabling sensorless commutation up to several kRPM on small fans and pumps. The 32-LQFP package keeps the PCB footprint under 50 mm^2 while exposing the IRUN/IRUN pinout streams and ADC channels needed for closed-loop current sensing. The 64 KB Flash fits state-machine commutation tables plus PI controller code without external memory. This makes the STM32F051K8T6 a strong fit for small appliance motor drives, RC speed controllers and drone ESCs below 5 A peak phase current.
Recommended
Home Appliance Control Boards
Home appliances like rice cookers, induction cooktops and washing-machine user-interface boards use the STM32F051K8T6 to drive segment LCDs (via software PWM), control relays and read capacitive touch pads. The Cortex-M0 deterministic interrupt handling ensures reliable capacitive-touch sensing at scan intervals down to a few milliseconds, while the 12-bit ADC monitors temperature sensors (NTC) with adequate resolution for control loops. The integrated RTC with calibration provides a real-time clock for delayed-start and timer functions, and the wide 2.0 V to 3.6 V supply range tolerates rectified mains rails. With 64 KB Flash and STM32Cube ecosystem support, appliance OEMs can reuse code across product variants in different package options.
Recommended
LED Lighting Controllers
Architectural and entertainment LED lighting controllers benefit from the STM32F051K8T6's 16-bit timer PWM channels, which generate high-resolution dimming signals for RGBW or tunable-white LED strings. The Cortex-M0 core at 48 MHz drives up to 8 independent PWM channels with sub-microsecond resolution, sufficient for DMX512, DALI or Art-Net protocol stacks. The 64 KB Flash fits the wireless-lighting stack and zone management. The 32-LQFP footprint is small enough to fit inside E14/E27 LED bulb form factors when paired with a compact switching LED driver. Compared with 8-bit MCU lighting controllers, the 32-bit core enables smoother dimming curves and more responsive fade transitions.
Recommended
Battery Chargers and Power Banks
Lithium-ion battery chargers and USB power banks use the STM32F051K8T6 to implement CC/CV charge profiles, USB-C source voltage negotiation, and OLED/LCD state displays. The 12-bit ADC measures battery voltage, charge current and thermistor temperature with sub-1% accuracy, while the integrated DMA controller handles background sampling without burdening the core. The 64 KB Flash holds complex charging profiles, fuel-gauge algorithms and USB-C PD protocol code. The wide 2.0 V to 3.6 V supply range enables direct connection to single-cell Li-ion battery packs via an internal LDO. The companion ULPI flash option allows field-customizable firmware for fast charging protocols.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Hubs
Industrial sensor hubs aggregate multi-protocol sensor data over RS-485, Modbus or IO-Link, and the STM32F051K8T6 is well suited for this with three USART (one with ISO 7816 smart-card mode), two SPI/I2S and one I2C interface. The Cortex-M0 core handles Modbus RTU/ASCII stacks in real time, while the 12-bit ADC reads 4-20 mA analog sensor inputs concurrently. The wide -40C to +85C operating temperature range covers indoor industrial cabinets. The ULPI flash option allows in-field firmware updates for protocol upgrades. With 64 KB Flash, the part supports Modbus TCP/RTU bridges with full register mapping.
Recommended
Consumer Wearable Devices
Wearables such as fitness bands, smart watches and BLE beacons use the STM32F051K8T6 to drive small OLED/LCD displays, sample IMU sensors and manage battery charging. The low-power Stop and Standby modes reduce quiescent current to microampere levels during inactive periods, extending battery life. The 27 GPIO pins drive display refresh, button inputs and BLE module UART lines without external expanders. The 64 KB Flash holds small display drivers and IMU fusion algorithms. The 32-LQFP footprint fits inside the compact PCB of a wristband, and the wide operating temperature range supports cold-weather use.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for STM32F051K8T6 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | STM32F072K8T6 | STM32G030K8T6 | GD32F130K8T6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | STMicroelectronics | STMicroelectronics | STMicroelectronics | GigaDevice |
| Package | LQFP-32 (7x7 mm) | LQFP-32 (7x7 mm) - same | LQFP-32 (7x7 mm) - same | LQFP-32 (7x7 mm) - same |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M0 | ARM Cortex-M0 | ARM Cortex-M0+ | ARM Cortex-M3 |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 48 MHz | 48 MHz | 64 MHz | 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB | 64 KB |
| SRAM | 8 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB |
| USB 2.0 Full-Speed PHY | No (USB pins mapped to other functions on LQFP-32) | Yes (integrated) | No | No |
| 12-bit DAC | No | Yes (1 channel) | No | No |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C |
| Approx Unit Price (USD, qty 1000) | 1.60 | 1.80 | 1.50 | 0.95 |
Key Differentiators
- Pin-compatible with newer STM32G030K8T6 for migration (vs STM32G030K8T6)
- Cross-brand second-source available (vs GD32F130K8T6)
- Upgrade path with USB-PHY and DAC (vs STM32F072K8T6)
Design Notes
Decouple each VDD pin with a 100 nF ceramic capacitor placed within 5 mm of the pin, and add a single 4.7 uF bulk capacitor near the regulator output. The STM32F051K8T6 has two VDD pins (17, 32) and one VDDA pin (5); VREF+ is internally tied to VDDA. For ADC accuracy below 1 LSB at high sampling rates, add a ferrite bead between VDD and VDDA to isolate analog and digital supply noise. Power-on ramp should be monotonic between 0.3 V and 2.0 V for reliable BOR (brown-out reset) behaviour.
Route the HSE/LSE oscillator traces short (under 10 mm) and guard them with a ground pour to prevent coupling to neighbouring high-frequency signals. The OSC_IN/OSC_OUT pins (5/6 in LQFP-32) require load capacitors sized to CL = 2 x (C_stray + C_load) per the crystal datasheet, typically 10-20 pF for 8 MHz HSE. Keep the SWDIO/SWCLK pair (PA13/PA14) away from motor PWM outputs to avoid debug probe interference during EMC testing.
Do not leave BOOT0 (pin 2) floating - tie it to VSS through a 10 kOhm resistor for normal Flash boot, or to VDD for system-memory bootloader boot. Floating BOOT0 may cause intermittent boot failures. The NRST line should have a 100 nF capacitor to ground and a 10 kOhm pull-up to VDD for clean reset; some debug probes need NRST to be free of capacitance. The integrated USB 2.0 PHY is NOT available on the LQFP-32 K8 variant (USB pins are remapped to PA11/PA12 shared with CAN) - choose STM32F042K6T6 or STM32F072K8T6 for USB peripherals in this package.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliant per STMicroelectronics product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - for automotive use consult STMicroelectronics automotive-grade STM32F0 lineup.
